Tag: Holidays

Always remember the Lilies {or not}

This post was originally shared in 2011, but it’s fitting for the Easter season and it’s fitting to remember what a character my Grandma was. 

Does any flower scream Easter like the Lily?
Well, for me, there is none other.

As a child, going to church with Grandma I vividly remember the Easter lilies all lined up near the pulpit.

I remember reading through the church bulletin during the Easter service about WHO the lilies were for as they were all purchased in memoriam for someone.

I remember seeing that Grandma purchased one for my Grandpa after he died.
I would look towards the pulpit…wondering which one was ‘his’.

Years later, I would read that there was a lily placed in my Brother’s name.

And two Easters later, my Dad was added to the Easter Lilly collection.

Sadly, our family was filling up the lily section.

Cut to a few years ago when Grandma was still alive and in her mid 90’s; she could no longer get to church for any services.

So Easter morning, the coach and I with the girls loaded up our car and made the hour & forty-minute trek to Grandma’s house in Miami to celebrate Easter.

I had the biggest, whitest lily in the back of the car for Grandma.

When we arrived, she was happy to see us all. She was always happy to see us.

When I handed her the big ole’ white lily…she looked at it, she then looked at me.

I said: Isn’t it beautiful?

Grandma: Lilies always remind me of funerals. And they stink. I don’t care for them. 

Good lord; I should have known.
 great grandma[5]

That woman could not filter her thoughts whatsoever.
So now, whenever I see a lily…I remember HER.

And then my thoughts roam to stinky funerals; then back to her and her unfiltered funny as heck self.

Do you remember when she called me a PERVERT?  Gosh, what are the chances of anyone ever calling me that again?

Wishing everyone a nice Easter wherever you are and with whoever you’re with.

XOXO

I can still hear the squeak of the squeegee

It took me over 2 hours to clean the glass in the family room/foyer/sitting area the Saturday after Christmas.

If I cleaned windows for a living, we’d be living in squalor because I didn’t even clean the top rectangular ones and I was exhausted AND it felt like it took me forever.

I told you we had 5 dogs here over Christmas, correct? Three of them really don’t understand how glass works. Who’s wild idea was it to live in a glass house? 

The house was vacuumed Christmas eve morning and exactly 24 hours later, it needed to be vacuumed again. 
And then 24 more hours, vacuumed again. 
Who invented long-haired dogs anyway? Not.this.girl.

I removed Christmas from the front of the living areas and then I started working on the backside with that big ole tree in there.

I’ve meant to blog a few years ago about my Christmas storage that I’m slightly obsessed with.

I told the girls that when I’m gone, they’re to split my jewelry and purses, and when we’re both gone, they can split my Christmas storage because it’s that valuable. I’ve been adding pieces each year. {Sounds like wedding china} I think I’m done now as I’ve added in a tree storage thingy and light storage this year, and I have three ornament boxes and a wrapping container.

Aside from my family, friends, butterflies, bees, and dogs, storage and organization is my favorite thing. Ever.

I hope everyone is off to a good start for 2020. We had a very quiet NYE; the Coach and I had a nice dinner out at our favorite pizza place, then back to the comforts of our home.
Two of my girlfriends from down the street came over to share some wine and conversation with us.
Any night/holiday that is without complicated plans and includes wine is my kind of night.
Nice and easy. Like me. 🙂

Happy Monday.
XOXO